Contact mass make-up



July 27, 1965 w. J. @2055, JR 3,197,253

CONTACT MASS MAKE-UP Original Filed March 1. 1961 HEGENEFATED FRESH 64ml KS7" S0965 l/OPPEF IN VEN TOR.

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ATTOHZYEX MASS MAKE-UP 3.. Cross, 512, Media, ?a., assignor to Houdry s Uorporation, Wilmington, Belt, a corporation aware Mar. 1, 1961, Ser. No. 92,705, now No. 3,149,924, dated Sept. 22, 14964. Divided his application Dec. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 342,321

1 Claim. (El. 302-47) In such systems the granular contact mass, which may be catalytic, descends through a downflow path as a compact bed or beds through one or more fluid contacting zones, an at the bottom of the downilow path the granular mass is raised to an elevated position for repetition of its downward movement. In typical hydrocarbon conversion systems, the fiuid contacting zones will ordinarily comprise principally a hydrocarbon conversion zone wherein the granular mass is contacted with hydrocarbon charged, and a regeneration or heating zone, wherein for instance, the granular mass containing coke deposit, is subject to contact with oxygen-containing gas for effecting combustion of the coke. In systems of this type it is generally found necessary to add a minor quantity of contact mass to the circulating body thereof, which in part at least is to replace that portion removed as fines resulting from attrition; or if the granular mass is catalytic and attrition is extremely small, a portion of the mass may be removed in granular form to permit replacement thereof by fresh catalyst or catalyst of higher activity in order to maintain desired equilibrium activity. The present invention is particularly concerned with improvements in the manner of adding so-called make-up catalyst or other contact mass requiring replacement in the system. Since the problems encountered are more acute in the case of the more costly contact mass which is catalytically active, the addition of make-up catalyst is particularly referred to in the description which follows; it being understood, however, that the invention is not thereby limited and is applicable in connection with the addition of non-catalytic contact material to replace that lost through attrition or otherwise.

In circulating systems of the type under discussion, the catalyst or other contact mass is maintained at or subjected to elevated temperatures in the order of 800 F. and above. One of the major problems currently encountered in such systems is that resulting from attrition of the catalyst, particularly in those systems employing a gas lift for elevation of the catalyst to the top of its downflow path during the course of circulation. The factors contributing to total attrition in the system are many and various. It has now been found that a considerable portion of the total attrition arising during operation may occur as a result of the prevailing manner of adding makeup catalyst thereto.

In US. Patent 2,786,800, means are described for continuously adding fresh make-up catalyst to the circulating catalyst system at controlled rates, instead of by periodic batch addition as tberetofore generally practiced. In the system there described, the make-up catalyst is fed by gravity from the make-up supply hopper to the elutriator bed or to the return line from the nited States Patent "ice elutriator, in either case under control of a metering orifice or mechanical flow regulating device. The makeup catalyst, alone or together with elutriated catalyst being returned to the system, is supplied to the top of the kiln section or to some other convenient point in the main body of circulating catalyst.

In those circulating catalyst installations in which the quantity of make-up catalyst to be added per hour is relatively small, as in the order of 1 part in 5,000 to 10,000 of the hourly circulation rate, difiiculties have been encountered in the control of the make-up rate through fixed orifices, while mechanical metering devices are cumbersome in operation and are subject to mechanical failures.

By the present invention an improved arrangement is provided for supplying make-up catalyst to the main body of circulating catalyst in the system to replace that lost through attrition and/or that removed from the system to maintain the desired equilibirum activity. In accordance with this invention, the make-up catalyst is caused to gravitate in compact flow from its supply hopper through a downfiow transfer conduit. At the bottom terminus of the transfer conduit a short communicating branch line extends laterally therefrom terminating in a discharge outlet within a gas'lift conduit which is separate from the one or more lift conduits employed in circulating the main body of catalyst through the system. Suitable lift gas flows at a controlled rate through the lift conduit from a point upstream of the discharge outlet of the branch line. A retractible gas nozzle, of smaller diameter than the branch line, is arranged along the axis of the branch line, the nozzle passing diametrically through the wall of the transfer conduit opposite the in tersection of the branch line with said conduit, so that the discharge outlet of the nozzle can be moved laterally toward and away from the inlet of the branch line. The catalyst is thus ejected from the branch line into the lift conduit in regulated quantity under control of (1) the gap provided between the outlet of the gas nozzle and the branch line inlet and (2) by the rate at which gas is discharged through the nozzle; these controls being independent of the supply of the main stream of lift gas to the lift conduit. The lift conduit discharges into a suitable hopper wherein it becomes admixed with the main body of catalyst that is being circulated in the system.

The operation of the invention and certain of the advantages thereof will be understood from the detailed description which follows read in connection with the accompanying drawings. In these drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating the application of the invention in one type of conventional gas lift hydrocarbon conversion system;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a portion of the make-up lift conduit and of the communicating catalyst supply conduit.

The system illustrated in FIGURE 1 is of the type described in general in Shirk, US. Patent No. 2,702,207, issued February 15, 1955. The system there described in detail utilizes a plurality of catalyst lifts, represented at 10 in FIGURE 1, which discharge freshly regenerated catalyst into a number of disengager vessels 11 arranged above the reactor system (not shown). In the disengager vessels the lift gas is separated from the granular catalyst particles, and these particles fall on to the bed of catalyst 12 at the bottom of each disengager vessel, the lift gas being discharged through an appropriate outlet 13. Feed er conduits 14 transfer the catalyst from the several vessels 11 into a common surge hopper 15, from which the catalyst passes by gravity in its downflow path (not shown) sequentially (1) through a hydrocarbon conversion reactor of the compact moving bed type, (2) is purged and (3) descends into and through a kiln section wherein the carbonaceous deposit is burned off the catalyst, restoring the same for repetition of the cycle. In the preferred embodiment conduits 14 are provided with an extension 14 within the vessel 15 in the form of an open U-shaped chute, which enables discharge of catalyst over the shallow side walls thereof onto the upper surface of the surge bed.

While the invention has been illustrated as applied to a system utilizing a number of lift disengager vessels supplying a common surge hopper, it will be understood that the application of the novel features of the invention is not limited to such system. Thus, the invention is equally applicable to a hydrocarbon conversion or system employing a single lift conduit for circulation of the main body of catalyst, such as is illustrated in Ivey et al. US. Patent No. 2,624,595 of January 16, 1953; or to a system in which a plurality of gas lift conduits discharge into a single disengager vessel, as is illustrated in Ardcrn, US. Patent No. 2,663,595 of December 22, 1953. Moreover, as shown in these patents, the use of a separate surge hopper 15 may be omitted and the surge bed may be provided in the disengager vessel 11 or within an upper compartment of the hydrocarbon conversion reactor. In any event the make-up catalyst in practice of the present invention, is added to the main body of circulating catalyst through a separate lift conduit 16 (FIGURE 1), discharging above the surge bed supplying the downllow path of catalyst, regardless of whether the surge bed is at the top of a reactor, within a lift disengager vessel, or in a separate vessel in communication therewith.

At 17 there is shown a catalyst storage hopper into which catalyst may be withdrawn during a shut-down period or the like, means (not shown) being provided for transfer of the catalyst thereto from a high point in the system. Catalyst from storage hopper 1'7 is returned to the system through suitable piping 18. Storage hopper 17 is partitioned to provide an upper storage compartment 19 for temporarily retaining the reservoir of makeup catalyst to be added to the system, an adequate supply being furnished periodically through inlet '25 Catalyst is withdrawn from compartment 19 by a line 21 which discharges into an upright transfer conduit 22, through which the catalyst gravitates in compact flow.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, there is shown at the bottom of conduit 22 a laterally-communicating branch line 23 which discharges into a make-up gas lift conduit 16, branch line 23 being provided with an upturned elbow 29 oriented to discharge solids axially in the direction of catalyst flow through conduit 16. A gas nozzle 25 passes through a gland 26 in the wall of conduit 22 at a position axially aligned with and diametrically opposite the opening into branch line 23. The nozzle 25 is of smaller diameter than the line 23 and is arranged so that the tip 27 of the nozzle can be moved into the flared inlet 28 of line 23 for a short distance and retracted therefrom as desired. The positioning of the tip 27 with respect to the inlet of line 23 operates as a general control device, in setting the thickness of the layer of catalyst in front of tip 27. As the tip 27 is retracted from the inlet a thicker layer of catalyst is thereby provided in front of the tip.

The positioning of the tip, therefore, sets the general limits of the rate of flow of catalyst through line 23.

Gas from a suitable source is passed through nozzle 25 under control of valve 30. The operation of valve 36 provides a line adjustment of the rate that gas is discharged from tip 27, thereby enabling precise control of the rate of catalyst discharge from branch line 23 within the broader range fixed by the positioning of tip 27.

in a hydrocarbon cracking system circulating catalyst at the rate of about 6G0 tons per hour, the make-up catalyst rate may generally be in the range or" about -200 pounds per hour. For a system of this type,.a practical design could employ a lift conduit 25 for the make-up catalyst of about 6 inch internal diameter and a transfer line 22 of about 3 or 4 inch diameter having a horizontal branch 23 of about 2 inch diameter. he gas nozzle 25 will be of a diameter (internal) of about half that of the branch 23. sure of 30 to 6G p.s.i.g. upstream of valve Under these conditions the position of tip 2? and the opening of valve 3% can be readily set to provide the desired rate of discharge of make-up catalyst through line 23 into lift conduit 16. It will be seen that at the indicated low makeup rate the catalyst will dribble or fountain out of the outlet of line 23 at low velocity and be picked up by the main gas stream passing through lift conduit 15, the velocity of such stream being sufiiciently in excess of supporting velocity to transport the catalyst through the conduit and discharge the same into hopper 15. The gas being disengaged by venting through outlet 31, the catalyst will fail onto the surface of the compact bed in the bottom of hopper 1S, and become admixed with the main body of catalyst supplied to the bed.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the append-ed claim.

What is claimed is:

The method of supplying fr -h make-up granular catalyst to a circulating main body thereof, which method cornprises passing such make-up catalyst in compact gravitating flow from a supply source to a substantially horizontal transfer path, continuously impelling small amounts of the catalyst through said transfer path by a gas stream into an ascending confined stream of lift gas in a conduit at a point intermediate to the outer walls of the lift gas conduit, and controlling the amounts so impelled by adustiug the location of the point of initial contact of the gas stream with the catalyst in said substantially horizontal path and by adjusting the rate of gas flow through said substantially horizontal path.

References tlited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

ANDRES NiELSEN, Examiner.

Gas may be supplied to nozzle 25 at a pres- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION [tent No. 3,197,258 July 27, 1965 Willis J. Cross, Jr.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patb requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as r'rected below.

In the grant, lines 2 and 3, for "assignor to Houdry ."ocess Corporation, of Wilmington, Delaware, a corporation of alaware," read assignor to Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

corporation of Delaware, line 12, for "Houdry Process :rporation, its successors" read Air Products and Chemicals, 1c., its successors in the heading to the printed specifiltiOl'l, lines 3 to 5, for "assignor to Houdry Process Corpora Lon, Wilmington, Del. a corporation of Delaware" read ssignor to Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. a corporation of alaware column 2, line 2, for "oriflce" read orifice column 3, line 18, for "2,624,595" read 2,624,695

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of February 1966.

SEAL) ttest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents RNEST W. SWIDER ttesting Officer 

